AI panel to execute pilot pay report

Government-owned Air India has constituted a committee to implement the recommendations of the Dharmadhikari committee report on the pay and promotion structure of its staff.

The panel has representation from personnel of the erstwhile Indian Airlines, now formally a part of AI, and the erstwhile Air India.

"The whole process of fixation of pay, level mapping and seniority is expected to be completed within six to eight weeks," went an official statement.

It said the committee was constituted on the direction of the civil aviation ministry. It includes Syed Nasir Ali, director in the ministry & officer on special duty to Air India, and three general managers in the airline - A J D'Souza, S N Bhattacharya and S U Shukla.

The Dharmadhikari panel was formed to recommend ways to resolve various issues between the personnel of the erstwhile IA and AI. The report, given this January, has been formally accepted by the ministry.

It has recommended the hugely loss-making airline cap all increments till it becomes operationally profitable. It has also said there is need to rationalise allowances paid to pilots of AI and the erstwhile IA.

It has recommended various cost-cutting measures in this regard, such as on allowances and accommodation when abroad. Also, on curtailing benefits such as free tickets to kin of staffers.

Pilots of the erstwhile AI, on its international routes, on strike for over a month, have said the report was prejudiced against them.

The implementation committee met on Friday to prepare a schedule. It is to interact with various associations and employees.

The ministry is approaching the Union cabinet for some dispensations required to give incentives on the basis of industry standards to certain classes of employees such as pilots, engineers and cabin crew.

The incentives paid to these sections, it has been decided, go beyond the guidelines of the Department of Public Enterprises.